Pedal holder



924. 1,519,793 Dm i6 F. A. MENARD ET AL PEDAL HOLDER Filed Oct. 31. 1923 7 6 fm1- F1112 /ff /f INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. MENARD AND LESTER REED, oEsrRrNGEIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

, `1=EDAL HOLDER. I

Application slee october s1, 1923'. serial No. 671,927.'

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. MENARD and LESTER REED, both citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Springiield, in the county of Hampden and State.

' cushioned at the outer end, a rod or bar arranged to slide in said body and having both rack teeth and ratchet-teeth, a crank-shaft journaled in said body and carrying a gear that intermeshes with said rack teeth, a latch or det'ent mounted on said body in position to vengage said ratchet-teeth, and a pedalengaging memberl pivotally connected with 'said'second-named bar at the outer terminal thereof, all ashereinafter set forth.

Much difficulty is experienced in holding the brake pedal of an automobile in forward position whilel the brakes are being adjusted, when the work is done in the customary manner; It requires two persons, one to rock forward and hold the brake pedal, and the other to take up the brake bands, and frequently the person holding the pedal permits the same, after being properly set or fixed, to change position to a greater or less extent, with the result that the brakes are not adjusted alike. The primary objects of our invention are, therefore, to eliminate one person in the work of adjusting the brakes of an automobile, and to insure uniformity of adjustment. -With this pedal holder, the brake pedal can be rocked forward to whatever extent may be required. and then held immovable throughoutlthe adjusting operation,vsaid holder being placed in active position by the person who does the adjusting.

Another bject is to produce a comparatively simp e and inexpensive, light yet strong and durable, and convenient devic of thel character described above.

.Our pedal holder is capable'of being used with -the brake pedals of practically all makes of automobile except the Ford.

Other yobjects andadvantages will appear in the course .of the lfollowing description.

We attain the objects and secure the advantages of our invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pedal .holder which embodies a practical form of our invention, portions being broken away and in section; Fig. 2, a top plan of said holder, and, Fig..3, a top plan of the body block of the holder without the cover, showing the parts and members hidden by said cover when the latter is in place, the crankshaft being in cross section.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.'

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that this pedal holder comprises a body consisting of a block 1 and a cover 2, a crankshaft 3 journaled 4in said body, a gear 4 s ecured to said crank-shaft, a brace rod or bar 5 having one terminal secured Ato said body, a rod or bar 6 slidingly arranged in said body and having rack teeth 7 and ratchet-teeth 8, said rack teeth and the teeth on said gear intermeshing, a detent or latch 9 mounted on said body and having a head 10 to engage said ratchet-teeth, and a pedalengaging plate 11 pivotally connected with the outer end of said second-named or serrated bar. y

The cover 2 is on top of the block 1 and secured thereto by means of two screws 12 which pass downwardly throughsaid cover to be tapped into -said block; The blo'ck 1 is recessed at 19 to receive one terminal of the bar 5 in the manner clearly shown inFig. 3, and one of the' screws 12 passes through such terminal. Thus the rod 5 is securely attached to and rigidly connected with the bodyof the holder.' The recess or slot 19 opens through the top and lwhat is really the rear end of the block 1.,

Inasihuch as what may properly be termed the rear end of the holder, which is the free end of the bar 5,l is placed in the angle formed by the front of the drivcrs or operators seat with the floor of the automobile,

in practice, it is necessary to cushion such end in order to avoid marring, scratching,

a cushion tip, such as thatdescribed below. I

' The bar 5, in the present example, is recl top of said bar.

tangular in cross section, and an externally screw-threaded nipple 13 is formed at the outer end of said bar to receive a shallow member or cup 14, the latter beiner centrally tapped to engage said nipple. yielding or cushion member 15, of rubber lor other suitable material, is fitted intothe cup 14, and securely held therein by means of a screw 16 that has its head countersunk in said cushion and passes through said cushion into threaded engagement with the bar 5. In thismanner a yielding or cushion tip is provided at the free or outer end of the bar 5. I

A recess 17 is formed in the top of the block 1 to receive the gear 4, and said block is slotted at 18 to receive the bar 6, said recess opening into such slot and both openingthrough the top of the block. The slot 18 also opens through both ends of the block 1. Neccssarily the rack teeth 7 are on the side of the bar 6 that is adjacent or contiguous to the gear 4, while the ratchet-teeth 8 are on Secured to the upper terminal of the crank-shaft 3 is a crank-arm 20 having at yits outer terminal a handle 21. By grasp'ing the handle 21 and rotating the crank-shaft 3, through the medium of the crank-arm 20, the gear 4 is rotated and imparts either'a rearward (inward) or a forward (outward) movement to the bar G, according to the direction in which the parts are rotated. The block 1 and the cover 2 both furnish bearings for the crank-shaft.

A pair of cars 22vrise from the cover 2, and the latch 9 is inserted between said ears and pivotally connected therewith at 28. The earsv 22 at one end are Hush with the forward end of the body, and the latch 9 .extends beyond said end. The head 10 is at the forward end of the latch 9 and extends downwardly into engagement with the ratchet-teeth 8. The handle (24) of the latch 9 extends rearwardly over the coverl 2. A spiral-spring 25 is interposed between the top of the cover 2 and a part of the latch that is behind the pivot 28, in position to elevate the handle 24 and depress the head 10, thereby retaining the latter in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 8, but ,enabling the same to yield when the bar 6 is actu ated in the direction to cause said ratchetteeth to snap past said head, the arrangement of said ratchet-teeth being such that this occurs when said rod is actuated outwardly or forwardly.

The pedal-engaging plate 11 is providedA plate 11 is bent downwardly' and forwardly to form a hook 29. The plate 11 is designed to be placed on top of a brake pedal with the hook'29 beneath the under or rear edge of said pedal, whereby a sufficiently good engagement is made.l The pivot 28 permits the plate 11 to rock as its position changes with the position of the pedal to which said plate is attached or with which. it is engaged.

The operation of o-ur pedal holder is dc,- scribed as follows:

The holderfis placed in an automobile behind the brake pedal, with the cushion tip 15 bearing on the floor and against the front side o-f the operators seat of said automobile, and with the -plate l11 on said pedal, the lower or rear end of the pedal being in the hook 29 or engaged by said hook. In order thus tol position the holder it may be necessary to rotate the crank either in the direction to retract or in the direction to advance the bar 6. Next the crank is rotated in the direction to advance the bar 6, and as said bar advances it rocks the brake pedal forwardly, through the medium' of the plate 11 with its hook 29. As the bar 6 slides forwardly in the body, the ratchetteeth 8 click past the head 10 ofthe latch` 9. As soon as the brake pedal is actuated torwardly to the required extent the crank is released. when the bar 6 with the plate 11 and said pedaly is held in place by one 'of the ratchet-teeth 8 and the latch 9. The operator, having thus adjusted and secured the 10 brake pedal, leaves the holder and proceeds to adjust the brake bands. At the end of the brake-band adjustingv operation the operator 'returns to the holder, rotates bar 6 a suficient distance to release the pressure on the latch head 10, presses 'downwardlyon the latch handle 24 to disengage said head from the ratchet-teeth 8, and rotates said crank in the direction to retract said rod and permit the brake pedal to rock back into normal or initial position. The movement imparted at thisti'f'ne to the bar 6 is suticient to enable the hook 29 to be disengaged from the pedal,l and when this is done the holder is removed, from the automobile.

Changes of minor importance may be made in some or all of the parts and members of this device, and changes in shape and size also may be made. without departing from the spirit of our invention or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

We are aware that lifting jacks and other devices have been constructed wherein rack bars have been reciproca-ted through the medium of gears, and do not seek to claim such a device broadly.

What we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pedal holder comprising relatively lixed and movable parallel connected bars, andmeans to reciprocate said movable bar, the latter being provided at its outer terminal with a pedal-engaging member, and said first bar heilig equipped at its outer end with a cushion tip.

A pedal holder comprising relatively ixed and movable parallel connectedbars arranged side by side, said fixed bar beingreceivable at its outer end in the angle formed by the ,operators seat with the floor of an automobile, means to reciprocate said lnovable bar, means normally to hold said lastnamed bar against movement in one direction, and a plate pivotally connected with vsaid movable bar, said plate being bent downwardly at its rear end and adapted to engage the top and rear edge of a pedal.

3. A pedal holder comprising relatively iixed and movable parallel connected bars, said fixedbar having at its outer end a cushion tip receivable in the angle formed by the front-oi' the operators seat With the floor 'of an automobile, and said movable bar heilig.

provided at its outer terminal with a pivotallyfconnected pedal-engaging plate, and 0p-V Ierating means for said movable bar.`

Ll. A pedal holder comprising relatively fixed and movable parallel connected bars, said fixed bar having at itsouter end a cushion tip receivable in the angle formed by the front of the operators seat with the floor of `,an automobile, and said movable bar being provided at its outer terminal with a pivotally-connected pedalengaging plate, operf ating means for said movable bar, and means to hold said lastf'named bar against move- 'ment in one direction.

5A`pedal holder 'comprising relatively iixed and movable parallel connected bars, said fixed bar having a cushion tip adapted to be receivable in the angle formed by the front of the operators seat with the oor of an automobile, and said movable bar being provided atits outer terminal with a pivotally-connected plate bent downwardly at its rear end to engage the top and rear edge of the brake pedal of such automobile, and operating means for said movable bar.

G. In a pedal holder, a body provided With a fixed brace bar having at its outer end a cushion tip adapted to be received in the angle formed by the. front of the operators seat and the ioor of an automobile, a crank having its shattrjotrrnalled in said body, a gear secured to 4said shaft, a latch mounted on said body, a serrated bar arranged to slide longitudinally in said body, said lastfnamed bar having teeth for engagement with the teeth of said gear, 'and teeth adapted to be engaged `by said latch, and a hook-provided plate pivotally connected with the outer terminal of said last-named bar, said plate being adapted to be engaged With the brake` pedal of said automobile.

7. The combination, in a pedal holder, with a body comprising a slotted and recessed block and a cover secured'thereto, said cover being provided with gears, a brace bar having one terminal inserted in one of the recesses in said block and secured in place therein, said bar beiner provided at its outer end with a cushion tlp, a crank having its shaft. journaled in said cover and block, a gear secured to said shaft in the other recess inl said block, and a spring-pressedv latch pivotally connected with said gears, of a bar arranged to yslide in the slot in said block, said bar having' rack teeth on one side in engage` vinga lug on top, said lug being pivotally connected With the outer end of said last-v named bar.

EDWARD A. MENARD. V LESTER REED.

Witnesses:

F A. GUTTER,

CLIFTON C. WEST. 

